Folding box and method of making the same



April 16, 1935. CLAFF 1 1,997,718

FOLDING BOX AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 3, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet 1 April 16, 1935. c, CLAFF FOLDING BOX AND METHOD OF MAKINGTHE SAME Filed Aug. 3, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. :1 a q\ Patented Apr.16, 1935 UNITED STATES FOLDING BOX AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAMEClarence Lloyd Clafi, Randolph, Mass.

Application August 3, 1934, Serial No. 738,360

9 Claims.

This invention relates to folding boxes of that type having end flapsadapted to be used as closures. It also relates to a method wherebyboxes of this type can be formed by a continuous process from constantlymoving webs of material with minimum waste.

A further object is to provide a folding box the sides of which arereinforced by use of double thicknesses of material.

A still further object is to construct boxes by a method which permitsthe production of two or more complete boxes simultaneously, the numberproduced being dependent upon their sizes and the width of the webs fromwhich they are formed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts and in certain steps of themethod hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims,it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and.arrangement of parts and in the disclosed method without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation showing, in diagram, theseveral steps followed in the method of printing, forming and assemblingthe components of the boxes.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of a web showing the several stagesin the production of several components simultaneously.

Figure 3 is a similar view of a second web showing the several stagesthrough which it passes in the simultaneous production of several of theother components.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the components after it hasbeen printed and shaped.

Figure 5 is a similar view of the other component.

Figure 6 is a perspective View of the completed box.

Figure 7 is a transverse section therethrough.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the two blanks constituting the respectivecomponents of the box and illustrating a different arrangement of theadhesive.

In carrying out the method it is intended to use two webs of materialindicated at A and B,

these webs being fed into a suitable machine from 55 large rolls fromwhich they will be drawn continuously. The webs can be mounted betweenguide rolls C.

One of the webs, A, is provided for the formation of the componentsforming one side of the completed box while the components from which 5the other sides of the boxes are to be made are adapted to be producedfrom the web B. These webs are adapted to be extended past printingrolls D and subsequently past scoring or creasing rolls E which also actto cut the webs at predetermined points. Thereafter the webs are movedacross opposed faces of a form F and deecting or turning blades G arepositioned where they will fold the edges of the web B upwardly onto theform and the edges of the web A downwardly onto the form. An adhesive isadapted to be placed upon selected portions, of the web by an applicatorH of suitable construction and after the lapping folded portions havebeen pressed together by shoes I or the like provided for that purposethe webs are severed by suitable cutting means, as J, so as to bedivided into completed boxes.

In Figure 2 several of the stages in the formation of one group ofcomponents have been illustrated. At station X the components areprinted while at station Y the components are cut and scored. At stationZ an adhesive can be applied if it is desired to employ one or moreadhesive surfaces on these components.

Each of the components produced from web A is shaped as shown in Figure4 and includes a main panel I, side panels 2 and an end panel 3. Fromthe end panel 3 is extended an end flap 4 of the same length as panel 3and constituting a part of one end closure of the box. Wings 5 and 6 areprovided at the respective ends of each panel 2, each wing 5 terminatingin line with the crease 1 formed between panel 3 and flap 4.

At station X printed matter is impressed upon the Web so that it willappear upon one or more of the panels I, 2 and 3. At station Y the webis slit longitudinally to form strips each of which is of the sameover-all width of one of the components shown in Figure 4. Theselongitudinal 45 slits, which divide the panels 2 of one series ofcomponents from the panels 2 of the next adjoining series of components,have been indicated at 8. In addition to slitting the weblongitudinally, it is also creased transversely as at l, 9 and I0. Thecreases 9 are provided where the panels 3 and the wings 5 of thecomponents join the panels I and 2 respectively. The creases l, asbefore stated, are located where the flaps 4 are joined to the panels 3.

The creases 10 are provided where the wings 6 are joined to the panels2.

At station Y the web is also slit transversely in line with the scores Ias shown at H for the purpose of forming the ends of wings 5 and 6 andadditional longitudinal cuts l2 are also made in the web between thescores 9 and I0 and extend longitudinally of the web for short distancesso as to separate wings 5 from panels 3 and to separate wings 5 from thewings 5 and the flaps 4 of the next following component. Thus when theweb components leave station Y they will be separated at all pointsexcept where the panels 5 are joii d to the flaps l.

Leaving station Y ith the components properly printed, scored -idpartially cut, the components reach the deflecting blades G which act toturn the panels 2 with their wings 5 and 6 downwardly about the form F.

While web A is being made into components as before explained the web Bis being similarly formed into a ond group of components. At station Xthe printed so that a suitable number of im ns will appear on eachcomponent. At c i Y the web is cut and creased, while at sta on Z asuitable adhesive can be applied to proper portions of the web.Components made from the web B can be such as shown in Figure 5, eachcomponent including a main panel I3, side panels M, an end panel l5 anda flap l6 coextensive in length with the end panel.

When the web is cut and creased at station Y it is also splitlongitudinally as at I! to divide the web into separate strips the widthof each of which is equal to the over-all width of one of thecomponents. In addition to slitting the web at station Y the mechanismalso creases the web longitudinally at I8 to define the side panels l4and the main panels 53. Ihe web is also creased transversely as at isand 29, the creases I9 being located between panels i5 and their flaps I5 while the creases 25 are located between the panels l3 and E5.Material is cut out of the web at the ends of the panels l4 between thecomponents of the adjacent series at the ends of their panels [5 andflaps ES. The spaces from which this material has been removed have beenindicated at 2|.

When the web leaves station Y the components are connected solelybetween flaps l6 and the main panels [3 and while thus joined are fed tostationary folding blades G which act to bend the panels l4 upwardlyonto the sides of form F so that they can pass between or into lappedrelation with the downwardly folded panels 2 of the components formedfrom web A. Before the flaps are brought into lapped relation, however,a quick drying adhesive 22 is applied to selected surfaces of one orboth panels H or to selected surfaces of one or both panels 2.Consequently as the two webs A and B continue to move forwardly theirlapping panels will be pressed together by the pressing elements I. Asthe two webs thus joined leave the pressing elements I they are severedtransversely by the cutting elements J one of which cuts across the webA in line with the creases H! but solely between wings 6 while the othercutting element severes web B where the flaps l6 are joined to thepanels I3. The places where these transverse cuts are made have beenindicated by broken lines at 23 on web A and at 24 on web B. Obviouslyafter this severing action has taken place the formation of the boxeswill be completed, each box, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, being made upof the two components forming double side walls, each side wallcomprising a panel 2, a panel l4, and an interposed thickness ofadhesive 22.

By having the two webs properly positioned relative to each other andproperly timed as to speed, they can be accurately printed, cut, shapedand assembled while the two webs are in motion with the result that fromthese continuously moving webs boxes may be produced at high speed.Furthermore by splitting each web into separate strips, two or morecompleted boxes can be produced simultaneously. It is to be un derstood,however, that instead of splitting each web longitudinally as has beenshown and described, boxes can be made one at a time from webs of suchwidth that each will produce one box only at each finishing operation.

While the adhesive has been shown applied to the outer faces of thepanels l4 and none of it has been applied to the panels 2 it is to beunderstood that other locations of the adhesive can be utilized. Forexample, and as shown in Figure 8, the component K formed from the upperweb A can be provided with adhesive 24 on one surface of one panel 2while the component L formed from web B can be provided with an adhesive25 on one surface of one of its panels M. The adhesive can be so locatedthat when the components are assembled the adhesive 24 on panel 2 willbecome ailixed to one panel l4 while the adhesive 25 on the other panelM will become affixed to the other panel 2. Furthemore, if preferred,the adhesive could be applied entirely to the panels 2 instead of to thepanels I4, this being the reverse of the arrangement illustrated inFigures 4 and 5.

It will be noted that none of the material of web A is wasted and thatthe only material of web B which is wasted is that produced by theformation of the openings 2|. Each of these openings is of an area equalto two pairs of wings 5 and 6.

In view of the new and novel way in which the boxes can be made, it ispossible to produce them at much lower cost than heretofore due to thehigh speed at which they are completed. The resultant box is alsoadvantageous as compared with other similar boxes because of theincreased strength due to the double thickness of the side walls of thebox.

What is claimed is: v

1. The method of making boxes having sides of double thickness whichincludes the step of feeding separate webs continuously to blankcreasing and shaping means to produce opposed components each havingside panels and then, while the components are in motion, affixing thepanels of one component to the corresponding panels of the opposedcomponent to form said sides.

2. The method of making folding boxes having sides of double thickness,which includes the step of feeding separate webs to blank creasing andshaping means to produce opposed components each having side panels andthen, while the webs are still in motion, applying adhesive to certainof the panels and folding the panels of the two components into lappedrelation to join them and produce the sides of the boxes.

3. The method of making'folding boxes having sides of double thickness,which includes the step of feeding separate webs to blank creasing andshaping means to produce opposed components each having side panels andthen,while the webs are still in motion, applying adhesive to certain ofthe panels and folding the panels of the two components into lappedrelation to join them and produce the sides of the boxes, and severingthe components of each web whereby the joined components will form acompleted box.

4. The method of making folded boxes having sides of double thicknesswhich includes the step of continuously feeding separate webs toprinting means and to means for creasing and shaping components in eachweb, each component having side panels, and thereafter folding thepanels of the two components into lapped relation and affixing them tojoin the components and produce the sides of double thickness.

5. The method of making folded boxes having sides of double thicknesswhich includes the step of continuously feeding separate webs toprinting means and to means for creasing and shaping components in eachweb, each component having side panels, thereafter folding the panels ofthe two components into lapped relation and afiixing them to join thecomponents and pro duce the sides of double thickness, and severing thecomponents of each Web whereby the joined opposed components will form acompleted box.

6. The method of making simultaneously a plurality of folding boxes eachhaving sides of double thickness which includes the step of feedingseparate webs continuously to cutting and creasing means wherebyparallel series of components are shaped and creased in each web, eachcomponent being provided with side panels extending to but severed fromthe side panels of the corresponding components in the next adjoiningseries, and subsequently folding the panels of each component to lap thecorresponding panels of a component of the other web and affixing thelapping panels to join the components, and severing the components fromthe respective webs thereby to produce a completed box.

'7. The method of producing folding boxes having sides of doublethickness which includes the step of feeding separate webs continuouslyto a cutting and creasing station, cutting and creasing each of the websat said station to divide each web into a series of joined components,each component having side and end panels, continuing the webs to afolding station for shifting the panels on corresponding components ofthe opposed webs into lapped relation and joining them, and thensevering the components successively from the next adjoining componentson the respective webs, thereby to complete the formation of the box.

8. The method of making folding boxes having sides of double thicknesswhich includes the step of feeding separate webs continuously to acutting and creasing station, cutting and creasing the two webs at saidstation to divide each web into parallel series of connected components,each component comprising a blank having side and end panels, saidblanks of each series being severed from the blanks of the adjoiningseries between their side panels while the blanks of each series arejoined at their end panels, subsequently folding the panels of thecontinuously moving components so that the panels of the components ofone web will lap the panels of the corresponding components of the otherweb, connecting the lapping panels, and severing the components alongtheir end panels to complete the formation of the boxes.

9. The method of producing folding boxes having sides of doublethickness which includes feeding separate webs to a cutting and creasingstation, cutting and creasing one of the webs at said station to dividethe web into parallel strips, all of the material of each strip beingutilized to form a longitudinal series of components, each componentbeing made up of a main panel, side and end panels and a flap upon theend panels joined to but adapted to be severed from the main panel ofthe next adjoining component of said series, there being wings integralwith and constituting continuations of the side panels at each endthereof, the adjoining wings of every four components being disposed ina group; and dividing the other web at said station into longitudinalstrips each of which comprises a connected series of components, eachcomponent comprising a main panel, side panels and an end panel having aflap, the flap of each end panel being joined to but adapted to besevered from the main panel of the next adjoining flap, there beingopenings in the sides of the strips between the ends of the side panelscoextensive with the areas of a group of wings on the side panels of thefirst named web; and subsequently joining the side panels of eachcomponent of one web to the side panels of a corresponding component ofthe other web and severing the flaps of the components from the panelsof the next adjoining webs.

CLARENCE LLOYD CLAFF.

